CHAMPION OF BRANDS SERIES STARTS THIS WEEKEND - APRIL 30/1 MAY
25 April 2005 - MotorSport Vision

A huge entry, many from the Home Counties, have entered the largest club motorcycle racing championship event to be staged at Brands Hatch so far this season.

Brands Hatch is the venue for rounds five and six of the BEMSEE Nationwide Championships, and this coming weekend sees the first and second rounds of the celebrated Champion of Brands series.

Winner of the impressive AMC Trophy will be custodian of a cup that has a motorcycle history dating back to 1923, with names inscribed such as Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees and Cecil Sandford to name but a few.

So who else''s name will be added to the list after the final rounds here at Brands Hatch in September? Over the years its been proved on a number of occasions that riders of the most powerful machines arent necessarily favourites for the title. Last season Mike Goodfellow (pictured) clinched the championship on a Supersport 600 Honda CBR, and theres every chance it could go the way of a 600 pilot this season.

Two qualifiers and two races over the weekend will deliver an awesome fest of open class racing around the Bands Hatch Indy speed bowl.

It may be rounds five and six of the series but in many respects it all begins here this weekend. The first four rounds will of course count towards the awarding of the world famous Mellano Trophy, and many of the riders racing at Brands this weekend may already feel that they are in with a chance.

New for 2005 is the 250 MiniMono championship. At his home track at Snetterton, Gt Yarmouths Michael Wright was unbeaten in four races and as a consequence the Norfolk engineer has a 59-point cushion after three rounds of the series. Watch out for a predominantly GP 125 grid.

Cambridge rider Barry Chapman has taken a firm grip on the Supersport 400 championship. Eight races and eight podium visits represent a racer on top of his game, so watch for the number 47 plate.

Former Supersport 600 Rookie David Manison took a year out in 2004 but has come back to Supersport action and made an immediate impact. Norfolk panel beater Darren Whymark and Sittingbourne engineer John Paul Scott are the likely podium contenders.

The powerful Forza Xtreme championship is sure to generate spectacular action around the Brands Indy speed bowl. As a result of an excellent weekend in the last rounds at Lydden, Rob Elsmere now heads the leaderboard by 18 points. Rob Elsmere, a plasterer from Erith, is an experienced rider and at his home track he will be a handful.

The Rookie groups are sure to relish what for many will be their first opportunity to race on the world famous Brands Hatch venue, with Steve Palmer setting the early pace in the Rookie 400 division.

Rookie 600 action will be raced in similar fashion. Although RAF engineer Tom Gazzard got his season off to a flier at Snetterton, he felt the close attention of John Angel and Patrick Sheridan in the recent meeting at Lydden.

This weekend F2 and Super Siders go off together, so expect plenty of jostling as teams vie for supremacy in their respective classes. There will be new leaders of the big class after this weekend, but who is another story.

After rounds one and two Chris Rogers and Matt Goldsmith were neck and neck in the MZ 250 championship. However, Chris Rogers gave the reigning champion Matt Goldsmith a hard time at Lydden and as a result takes a 15-point cushion into round five. These two have stolen a march on the rest but expect more than two riders contesting the lead here at Brands Hatch.

Yamaha Past Masters champion John Puk has got his season off to a rapid start and eased out a 35-point lead over David Hallett. The 350 LC mounted John Puk is bound to be a handful, but watch for Darren Mowat, Pete Fishwick, Nick Sanders and Suffolk welder Frank Barrett.

Tickets cost £12 per adult per day, with children aged 12 and under free. Practice on Saturday starts at 9am, with the first of seven races starting at 10-35pm. On Sunday racing starts at 10-45pm. Free parking and access to the paddock is also available.

Event Lineup

Open 1300
Formula 1 Sidecars
Formula 2 Sidecars
Supersports 600
Formula 400
Mini Twins
Rookie 600 Championship
Rookie 400 Championship
Rookie 400 Championship
Yamaha Past Masters
MZ 250
250 Minimono

Timetable

10.45 RACING STARTS
Race 1 Yamaha Past Masters
Race 2 Supersport 400
Race 3 BMZRC 250 MZ
Race 4 Minitwins (Group A)
Race 5 Minitwins (Group B)
Race 6 Forza Xtreme
Race 7 Rookie 400
Race 8 Supersport 600
Race 9 Rookie 600
Race 10 Super & F2 Sidecars
Race 11 250 Minimono
Race 12 Champion of Brands (Qualifier)
Race 13 Yamaha Past Masters
Race 14 Supersport 400
Race 15 BMZRC 250 MZ
Race 16 Minitwins (A Final)
Race 17 Minitwins (B Final)
Race 18 Forza Xtreme
Race 19 Rookie 400
Race 20 Supersport 600
Race 21 Rookie 600
Race 22 Super & F2 Sidecars
Race 23 Champion of Brands Round 2
Race 24 250 Minimono
Race 25 Clubman 400 - 650 Shootout
Race 26 Clubman 1000 - 600 Shootout

www.motorsportvision.co.uk

More News
  For April 2005
  From MotorSport Vision
  For Racing General
  Biker247.com Home Page